


The Boshin War Part 2

by Legume_Shadow



Series: Echoes: A Peacemaker Kurogane/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover [16]
Category: Peacemaker Kurogane, Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Author Loves Writing the Meiji Revolution, Gen, War is hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-12
Updated: 2013-10-13
Packaged: 2017-12-29 06:15:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1001965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legume_Shadow/pseuds/Legume_Shadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Boshin War continues on, the scattered Shinsengumi, on the run from the relentless pursuance of the Choshuu-Satsuma forces, reunite and arrive at Edo.  Lives will change but hope always lives on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First Publishing: AO3, October 2013. All copyrights apply to the appropriate parties and no profit is being made from this fanwork.

**Part 12: The Boshin War Part 2**

**Chapter 12.0**

_Year: Early Spring – Early Summer 1868_

 

“Ichimura!”

“Here!” Tetsu shouted as he ducked and a bullet whizzed over his head. He ran towards Susumu who was bent over the bloody leg of one of the Shinsengumi members, fingers dug into the man's leg that was clearly squirting out blood. Of everything that he had seen so far in his life, dismembered bodies, hacked off limbs, even guts spilled out onto the ground, strangely enough, just the sight of someone's hand _rummaging_ around the inside of a body that was still clearly alive and in great pain, made him queasy.

“Hand on this,” he heard Susumu say as he felt his friend grab one of his hands and pressed it upon a torn up cloth that had blood welling up from underneath it. He remained there, half-hunched over as he saw Susumu dig deeper some more, eyes concentrated only on the wounded man.

“Got it,” he heard Susumu mutter before he saw a metallic-looking object suddenly thrown out from the leg. With his other free hand, Susumu placed another wad of cloth against the free-flowing wound before wrapping a long strip tightly around the man's leg, stymieing the bleeding. “Lift him up,” he heard his friend tersely order him as he complied and lifted the man up with all of his strength, trying to keep the hand that was pressed against the man's stomach, on the stomach. Susumu then wrapped yet another long strip of cloth around the wounded man's stomach before taking the weight off of Tetsu and slung the man's shoulder across his own.

Tetsu immediately knew that Susumu was going to drag the man as far away from the front lines as possible and he ducked to help, and together, with the wounded man in between them, they dragged him out of there. Under the sheer face of rifle fire that was passing over their heads along with blood-curdling _ki-ai_ from both Shinsengumi and rebels fighting with swords, he was amazed that his friend did not flinch in the bald face of danger. If it were himself only, carrying his fellow Shinsengumi member out of the combat area, Tetsu knew that he would not have been that brave.

Despite all of his words throughout the years to his friends about the fact that he was not afraid, these last few weeks had been absolutely harrowing to him. He was insanely tired, having not gotten a lot of sleep and from always being on the run towards Edo so that the bulk of the Choshuu-Satsuma forces did not catch up with them. He was scared that when he slept, nightmares about rebels trying to slit his throat or kill all of them while they made camp, deprived him of the rest he needed.

It was not just him who was loosing a lot of sleep, as tempers between all of them were short and the some of smallest of slights between two individuals blew up to where the individuals almost drew swords on each other. It was a miracle that they still kept together and defended each other whenever engaged in battle, such as now.

The man they drag was unconscious, but as they reached the back lines of where the Shinsengumi had made their stand today against the small rebel group that had tried to ambush them, he heard a roar go up from the front lines. Taking a quick look back as he and Susumu continued to drag the injured man away, he saw that the rebels were fleeing. “Keep going,” he heard Susumu say as he saw the rest of the Shinsengumi wait a few moments to ensure that the rebels were indeed running away before pulling cautiously back.

It felt like hours later, but the sun had only moved a small amount in the sky that the Shinsengumi finally stopped and made their camp for the moment. After he and Susumu had placed the wounded man down on the ground, Tetsu left and sought out Hijikata. He found the vice-commander surveying the area with a hawkish look on his eyes, as if anticipating yet another ambush from the ground or skies.

“Sir, shall I go gather some firewood?”

“No,” Hijikata answered curtly. “No firewood. We'll have to sustain ourselves for now on whatever berries and roots we can find. We're not going to stay long in this area.”

“Yes, sir,” he answered.

“Continue to help Yamazaki, Ichimura,” the vice-commander said. “We need everyone able to move quickly.”

“Sir, what about--” he started.

“Go help Yamazaki,” Hijikata repeated again, and this time, he saw a definite glare in his master's eyes and hastily bowed before hurrying away.

* * *

Surrounded, they were completely surrounded, and though Susumu had no illusions about not surviving to see another day, the irrational hope that perhaps the rebels would be merciful clung onto him like a terminal illness. They were so close, _so close_ to Edo, yet the relentless rebel forces had caught up to them. He could not see them, but he could hear them, just over the hilly ridge that they had pulled back to.

He and the remaining Shinsengumi who had escaped from the carnage weeks ago at Toba-Fushimi were still alive for now and still fighting. They only numbered eleven – well ten – now that one of their members had been gravely injured in that last skirmish and would not last through the night. That number included him, the vice-commander, and Tetsunosuke, and they _had_ only engaged in skirmishes against the rebels that ensured that they were the victor, but now, the bulk of the rebel forces were starting to turn their luck.

With out fire or stitching needles and thread, Susumu could only do so much to stop the blood from flowing out of the wounds of those who had been grazed by rifle fire or by the sword of the enemy. Cloth could only hold back so much until the wound would heal by itself, but with their constant running and engagement of the enemy, wounds had festered into illness and disease. That in turn had eventually whittled down their numbers to what was left.

As he went from each person, with Tetsu joining him, assessing their health and their injuries, providing a re-bandaging of any cloth binding that had gotten loose or binding of fresh cuts, he couldn't help but silently despair. His skills as a field medic were enough to keep most of the Shinsengumi alive, but without proper care, they would all eventually succumb to infection and sickness, that is if the rebels did not kill them first.

At long last, he finally stopped in front of Hijikata and wisely, Tetsu left the two of them alone, wandering over to go talk to Okita who was resting against the base of a tree. Protocol normally dictated that he should've looked at the vice-commander first to assess him of any injuries, but remarkably, Hijikata and Okita were the only swordsmen who had not sustained any injuries whenever they encountered rebel forces. It was a testament to just how skilled both were with the sword, and with the vice-commander's blessing, he had prioritized checking up on the other Shinsengumi members first over the vice-commander, with the command only overridden _if_ the vice-commander called for him.

“You're looking a little pale, sir,” he said after a long moment of observing him.

Hijikata made a non-committal snort as he drew his gaze down from staring at the horizon and onto him, Susumu. “Will he be able to move far with just one person helping him in a couple of hours?”

Susumu knew that the vice-commander was talking about the wounded man and shook his head slightly, saying, “He will not last the night, sir.”

“Then give him a swift death, Yamazaki.”

“Yes, sir,” he answered, bowing slightly. Moving away, he returned to where he and Tetsu had dragged the injured man to and knelt to the side of the man. Picking up the man's wrist, he felt for a pulse and found it to be thready and weak. As he continued to hold the man's wrist, a sudden sensation of _wrongness_ swept through him, almost paralyzing him. Closing his eyes not only in panic but to also keep himself from collapsing on the ground, he tried to steady his own breathing and found that he was using the injured man's pulse as a guide. Slowly he let the panic and strange feeling slide away and opened his eyes again.

Whatever that had been, it had frightened him, and he slowly realized that despite the years he had devoted himself to the art of ninjitsu, his duties as a shinobi, and every single assignment he had undertaken, this order from Hijikata felt wrong. It felt like a violation of everything he had learned as a medic, which was to do anything possible to save a life. Hijikata wanted him to kill this man, and he found himself unable to do it.

An order that he would have obeyed instantly was conflicting with the training he had received, and he could not fathom why. _The wounded man will only slow us down_ , he said to himself as he tried to steel his mind for the task, drawing upon all of his shinobi mental training. _He'll get us all killed if he is kept alive_.

As he repeated that mantra in his mind, he found himself relaxing from the sudden stiffness that had encompassed his body and looked at the man's wrist that he held. Moments later, when he felt the paralysis that had gripped him disappear, he pressed a certain area on the man's wrist and placed it back down. A few seconds later, he watched the man take his last breath, killed by a well-placed pressure point.

It was the sudden whinny of horses splitting the near-silence of the air that startled him out of his reverie, and caused the small camp to scramble up with swords drawn. His own short blade had been drawn as he quickly rose and saw riders thunder across the ridge of the hill. However, his eyes widened with surprise as he saw splashes of the familiar pattern of blue and white overcoats underneath the grime, blood, dirt, and other indistinguishable things that dirtied the coats. _Shinsengumi_!

A cheer went up in the small camp as the riders surged towards them, but that cheer died slightly down as they saw only eighteen riders come across the hill. In the lead were both Saitou and Nagakura, but there was no sign of Kondou within the small cavalry group. He saw Kai and Aya, both of whom he almost did not recognize, both by the seemingly aged look they had on their faces, and the fact that both shinobi were covered in so much filth.

As the riders pulled their horses to a stop, Susumu approached, but cautiously, for he saw the glittering eyes all of them had, the almost maniacally furious look each person sported. They exuded a dangerous atmosphere and he wasn't the only one to notice. A few of the others still had their swords out, but were taking tentative steps towards the group. The silence was quite palpable.

However, it was Hijikata who broke the cautious atmosphere by approaching, and demanded, “Where’s Kondou- _kyokuchou_? What happened?”

“He was captured by Choshuu forces and beheaded a couple of weeks ago, sir,” Kai answered, breaking the uncomfortable silence around the group.

* * *

Tetsu held the reigns of the two horses that had carried Saitou and Nagakura steady as the two captains dismounted. “Hey, Ichimura,” Nagakura said, giving him a nod of thanks. “Your brother survived and left after our battle at Katsuunuma. Last I heard, he was trying to get to the west coast.”

“Thanks,” he answered, grateful for the small bit of news, no matter how vague it was. At least it told him that the last anyone had seen of Tatsu, he was still alive and despite the last time he had ‘talked’ with his brother which had degenerated into an argument, he was glad to hear the news.

“He got out while he still could,” he heard Harada mutter as the spearman dismounted his own horse. “Like we should’ve before Katsuunuma. Good riddance to our despot of a commander.”

“Aho,” Saitou spat out before walking away to converse with Hijikata who was sitting by one of the many fire pits that had been recently built. With the arrival of the eighteen additional Shinsengumi members who had cleared the area of rebels, making it safer, Hijikata had ordered them to make a semi-permanent camp for the rest of the night.

He led the horses away, not wanting to hear his friends begin argue, and as he left the horses with the other beasts, he looked around at the camp. Though obviously more relaxed-looking, they were still alert-looking, through many of them were starting to nod off. A few of them had stuck what little food they had on sticks and were cooking them over the small fires, but generally, most were asking the others about what had happened.

He spotted Susumu sitting next to the other two shinobi, and as much as he wanted to go join his friends, the way the three held themselves, even while sitting, did not seem to invite anyone else near them. He silently sighed to himself, and with the slight rumbling of his stomach, he decided to approach the fire pit where Nagakura and Harada were sitting, hoping that the two would not argue any longer and would let me at least eat whatever little they could spare, in peace.

* * *

_A couple of hours later..._

 

Tetsu snapped himself out of the daze that he had accidentally fallen into while staring at the fire, the rumbling in his stomach quelled a bit by the bits of half-burnt root that he had eaten earlier. He looked around him and saw that Nagakura and Harada had already fallen asleep, but as he continued to look around, he saw that a few of the other Shinsengumi were up and looking around, on guard duty most likely.

However, he could not see any sign of Susumu or the other two shinobi and briefly wondered if they were up on the treetops, watching all of them like hawks, but realized that he didn't really care if he was being watched. He glanced up, but all he could see was the setting sun, reflecting its golden rays off the small buds of leaves that were starting to sprout.

“Where did you send them?” he heard Hijikata suddenly demand in a raised voice.

Glancing over, he saw his master standing near a fire pit, arms folded across his chest, glaring at Saitou. It took him a moment to realize that Hijikata was talking about the three shinobi – they were gone from the camp and people were only recognizing this now. He heard cloth shifting on the ground as out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Nagakura and Harada wake up from the short naps they had taken, instantly alert. Many of the others around the camp who had also heard Hijikata looked a little alarmed.

“I didn't send them anywhere,” Saitou irritatingly said, taking a long draw out of the cigarette that he held in his hand. “We took the long way around another small Choshuu camp while trying to get to you. Isn't it obvious? They went back for the horses.”

Tetsu tuned out the rest of the argument, tired of hearing the people he considered comrades and friends bickering about the slightest of things. Who cared if Susumu, Aya, and Kai went off on their own to procure horses. Who cared whether or not there was a point in staying here when the rebels were already gaining on them and would most likely overrun them even if they were on horses. Who cared whether or not if the battlefield tea that he kept serving tasted slightly salty. Who cared whether or not they had shelter from the early spring rains. He was dirty, he was tired, and he was exhausted from the many sleepless nights he had for the past weeks since that disaster at Toba-Fushimi.

“Tetsu-kun,” the hoarsely soft voice of Okita called out to him, snapping him from his reverie as he looked up and saw his friend beckon him. He reluctantly trudged over to where Okita was, sitting on the ground, leaning against a rather broad base of a tree. Though he looked tired, Okita still had his sword leaning against his shoulder, with an arm wrapped around the scabbard, ready to draw in a downwards motion – the usual posture of a person who was sitting but still alert to any threat. Even after months of running northwards, despite copying that stance with his own two swords, Tetsu had found himself curled up on the ground whenever he opened his eyes after a fitful night of elusive sleep, clutching his swords to him as if they were a toy he would never let go.

“Okita-san,” he said, taking a seat on the cold ground, leaning back against the rough bark of the tree. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” the First Unit captain said. “Thank you for asking.”

“I've been meaning to ask, Okita-san,” he said, averting his eyes from Hijikata and Saitou arguing as he stared at the ground, hoping that it would provide some distraction. “What happened to your short sword?”

“Ah,” Okita began in a light tone that still belayed the hoarseness and exhaustion. “A friend needed a weapon and in the chaos, I gave it up to that person. I do not use it often and my style is mainly focused on the katana more than the wakizashi, so therefore, I feel no remorse in parting with it.”

“Oh.”

“You should try to sleep, Tetsu-kun,” Okita gently said.

“I can't,” he replied. Try as he might, there were so many arguments each day and night that it made it almost impossible to rest, much less speculate on the futility of all the arguments. He hated it – hated how much people doubted the decisions of Hijikata and how much they wanted to push their own agendas.

“Close your eyes, Tetsu-kun,” Okita continued in a soothing tone, “and allow me to tell you of a story about three young children who made so much mischief around Edo castle.”

“Okay,” he agreed, hoping that perhaps focusing his ears on his friend's voice would help a little, even if it were just for an hour of sleep.

“It began when one of the girls was nine and the other two five, with the youngest of them having just arrived in Edo...”

* * *

“Tetsu-kun, wake up. Our shinobi have returned.”

Tetsu woke up in a start at the mention of his name, having not been able to sleep as deeply as he wanted as he felt the ground rumbling. He uncurled himself from the ground and hastily put his swords back into his hakama waist strap as he saw multiple riderless horses thunder into the small camp. Several of the others had already sprung up to stop the horses, while he saw one of the horses with a rider – Aya – stop in front of Hijikata.

“Sir, we need to leave now,” he heard her curtly say without preamble. “The camp we stole these horses from outnumber us at least fifteen to one, and they have more than just rifles and Gatling guns. They have small cannons that can be easily moved by the horses we didn't get to steal.”

“There's enough horses for everyone, sir,” the voice of Susumu spoke up, and Tetsu saw his friend come riding up, stopping before Hijikata. “We've managed to get a twine high above the trees that runs to their stockpile of black powder, but there's no guarantee that its destruction will work or stop them.”

“How big?” Hijikata asked.

“We don't want to be here when it goes off, sir,” Kai said, finally riding up last, carrying a barrel of string that seemed to disappear into the trees above. Tetsu realized that the barrel of string was the fuse that ran from the gunpowder storehouse to here, through the tree tops.

“Everyone, mount up,” he heard Hijikata ordered and everyone in the small camp scrambled for a horse. Fortunately, there was no chaos in the choosing of a horse and Tetsu found himself sitting on a slightly skittish one that was near the horses that Hijikata and Okita had chosen to ride.

He glanced back to see that Kai had cut the fuse from the barrel and saw Saitou hand over a small western flintlock pistol to Aya, who used the striking part of the pistol to ignite the fuse before quickly handing the pistol back to Saitou. The two shinobi and Saitou remounted their horses as the burning fuse merrily made its way up through the trees and towards its destination. That was their cue to leave as twenty-eight riders thundered out of the area.

What felt like forever, but in reality, only about ten minutes after they had started galloping towards Edo, did an even bigger explosion rock not only the ground that the horses pounded upon, but also the sky, startling a great many birds who took flight. Tetsu found that he was not the only one who glanced behind to see what had happened; he was frightened yet eerily amazed at the sight of a rather large wave of flames barreling down the forest, while ominous black clouds curled and rose through the tree tops. Fortunately, the rolling wave of flames didn't reach them, but even at this distance, Tetsu could feel the brief flash of heat from the flames – Kai was right...it was a very good thing they had gotten out of there and not waited to see if the explosion would trigger.

There was however, no cheer of victory from any of the twenty-eight survivors, and only a few of them had grim smiles of satisfaction gracing their faces. They had lost too much already and they all knew that it was only a matter of time before Choshuu-Satsuma forces would regroup and continue their pursuit. Tetsu hoped that they would reach Edo before the rebels caught up to them.

 

~*~*~*~


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 12.1**

 

_Days later..._

 

A fresh pair of clothes, a warm meal in his belly, and even a soft futon for him to sleep on seemed almost like a dream for Tetsu, but it was a reality he had enjoyed for the past two days since he and the surviving members of the Shinsengumi arrived in Edo. However, the journey there had not been an easy one, to say the least...

 

“ _Edo Castle!” one of the members that was left of their group cried out as they crested the hill. “Thank kami-sama that we made it!”_

“ _Don't slow down!” Hijikata ordered as some of the riders also cheered in relief and the horses took it as a sign to slow down slightly. “They're still behind us.”_

_Sobered by that thought and with the reinforcement of the rebel horde's shouts that echoed behind them, the riders spurred their horses on. Foamy flecks and rivulets of spit covered the horses' mouths as the labored breathing of their beasts thundered in time with the beating of hooves on the ground. They were pushing their horses beyond the point of exhaustion, but no one dared stop, lest they be overtaken by the rebels and killed. All of them wanted to make it to Edo, and with the castle visible, it was the thoughts of reinforcements, shelter, and a safe haven that spurred them on._

_Tetsu kept his horse paced with Hijikata's, even though he could feel the beast faltering. Early spring trees were already starting to show their first leaves, but the cherry blossom trees had not yet bloomed yet, even though it was the warmest day they had yet. However, he kept his thoughts from wandering too much and kept close to the vice-commander._

“ _Yamazaki, go on ahead and announce our arrival and the fact that a horde of rebels are behind us. Edo needs to get her defenses up,” Hijikata curtly ordered._

“ _Yes, sir,” Susumu acknowledged and even though the Shinsengumi had been galloping towards the city at full speed, it seemed almost impossible, but Susumu managed to get his horse to move faster than it already did._

_Soon, the dark speck of his friend vanished, but the minutes they spent riding towards the high outer walls of the city only felt like moments. When they crested the final hill that would take them towards the distant gate, Tetsu saw six people waiting near the gates, arrayed apart with enough space between each to let at least two riders pass through between each person. He could see them, but he couldn't even_ feel _their presence._

_Center most, Tetsu identified Susumu, but it took him a moment to identify the tall, thin and wiry-looking Aoshi, who looked quite different than he had seven months ago. There was an air of cool confidence around the leader of the Oniwabanshuu, and it seemed to bolster the morale and readiness of the other shinobi around him._

_To the right of Aoshi and Susumu was a short shinobi who was clad in black with dark red striped bands going up and down his arms. Curiously, there was a demonic-looking skull-mask on the shinobi's face that had two tusks curling up from the mouthpiece. To the right of the wraith-like looking shinobi was a bulky but burly-looking shinobi dressed in only in linen that covered his lower torso. Thick, large ropes were wrapped around him and there was a very strange looking object that protruded from his mouth._

_To the left of Aoshi and Susumu was a short-statured shinobi who had spiky hair and looked a bit like an owl with a very unnerving stare. To the left of that shinobi was an extremely tall, even taller than Kai or Aoshi, shinobi with scars decorating every part of his body not covered in cloth. The frightening thing about the enormous shinobi was that not only did scars cover his body, but every inch of him was bulging muscles._

_Despite only six shinobi who looked quite intimidating, Tetsu couldn't help but despair. Susumu had been sent to call for Edo's defense, and only these five, plus Susumu had shown up. As the Shinsengumi continued to thunder towards the walls of Edo, he suddenly saw Aoshi extend out his arms in a lateral sweep, though his hands did not carry blades._

“Fukuchou _!” he heard Kai shout. “Keep going!”_

_The horses that Kai and Aya rode suddenly whinnied in protest as they were steered away from the group as his two friends peeled off in opposite directions, galloping towards something. He saw Kai unsaddle himself slightly off of the back of the horse to swipe at something on the ground and as soon as the tall shinobi righted himself again, he saw that there was a chain of sorts in his friend's hand. A quick glance to the other side also yielded the same for Aya._

_As both shinobi pulled towards the city walls, their chains dragged behind them, slowly, Tetsu realized that they were dragging a trigger of some sort for possibly an explosive or a trap. It was that startling thought that caused him to kick his horse and urge it to go faster – he did not want to be caught at the end of the explosion or trap when the chain became taut._

_All twenty-five members members of what was left of the Shinsengumi raced past the shinobi vanguard, and it was Hijikata who pulled his horse to a stop before they could pass through the gates. Wheeling their horses around, several of them, including Hijikata jumped off, pulling out their swords. Tetsu followed suit, and just as he unsheathed his own swords, Kai and Aya came galloping through, and an instant later, the chains they were pulled went taut..._

Boom _._

_The explosive was not a fiery ball of flames and terror, but rather an enormous cloud of smoke that instantly obscured not only the open space between the castle walls and the edge of the forest that the Shinsengumi had emerged from, but was also carried into the forest by the fresh spring wind. Moments later, in the silence that fell among those at the entrance, save for the whicker and labored breathing of the exhausted horses, Tetsu could hear the faint clank of metal and hooves snapping through tree branches dropped to the ground. The rebels were coming, but with the smoke obscuring everything, he could not see how close they were._

“ _Oniwabanshuu, fly,” he heard Aoshi quietly command._

_He couldn't help but give a startled yelp, and he wasn't the only one to, as several black-clad people suddenly appeared and silently charged through all of them, headed straight towards the thick, dark smoke. Aoshi, Susumu, Kai, Aya, and the four extremely strange-looking shinobi had also charged with the others, leaving the Shinsengumi at the gates._

_Seconds later, he heard the first echoes of a long, drawn-out and blood-curdling scream echo from the forest, but that noise was suddenly silenced with the thundering of hooves and footsteps as he and the others turned slightly to see reinforcements bearing the yellow-white colors of the Shinchougumi arrive..._

 

Tetsu managed to pull out of his thoughts as he arrived at the rather imposing structure that housed the commanders of the various forces that were defending Edo's walls. He was allowed passage into the building, for the two guards standing outside recognized him to be Hijikata's page. As he navigated his way through the labyrinth, he couldn't help but feel a chill pass over him at how enclosed and gloomy this building felt, especially since the lanterns that decorated and lit the place was quite sparse and very dim. After taking several flights of stairs, he finally approached the top floor of the building that only had one set of doors.

There was no guard at the entrance and he found that to be strange, but as soon as he approached the door, a figure jumped down from the rafters of the building and landed right in front of him, causing him to jump back, quite startled. He was further embarrassed as he got one good look at the dark-clad figure who was wearing a demonic-like mask with two tusks curling up out of his mouth, and couldn't help but shout in fright.

As if feeling slightly sorry for him, the shinobi merely gave him a small bow of apology before turning towards the door, saying, “ _Okashira_ , Hijikata- _fukuchou_ , and Okita- _kyoukuchou_ , Ichimura Tetsunosuke-san is here. Shall I let him in?”

“Yes, Han'nya,” Tetsu faintly heard Aoshi curtly reply.

The shinobi opened the door and held it open as Tetsu walked in. He barely heard the door close, but his eyes were already focused on those in the room, standing over a table strewn with maps and various items that indicated defensive positions, fortifications, and troops. He saw a rather young-looking man standing next to the commander of the Shinchougumi, and though he was curious as to who this page was, since he had not seen the page present during the battle two days ago, it was Hijikata's glare at him that beckoned him to his master's side.

“How many forces do you command, Shinomori?” Hijikata brusquely asked.

“Fifty-three,” he heard Aoshi answer. “They do not include the three assigned to your group, or the two assigned to the Shinchougumi, or those still in Kyoto.”

“Then we should let these the pages go about their duties before we discuss anything else,” Hijikata said, with Shinchougumi's commander, Okita Rintarou, nodding sagely. “Those two sacks,” Hijikata said, gesturing towards the far end of the room where two rather large and heavy-looking burlap sacks, “contain missives that need to be distributed to every commoner household. There should be enough in them to give to everyone on the east side, and should you need more, report back to this building. Shinobi will be here to give you more missives.”

“What of the north, west, and south sides, sir?” the Shinchougumi page asked.

“They are being taken care of by others. Your job is for the east side only.”

“Sir, what's in these missives?” he asked, hoping that his venture would not earn a glare of disapproval from his master.

“Orders to prepare for the evacuation of Edo,” Aoshi softly answered, the tone of his voice almost unemotional. “We will not be able to hold this city.”

* * *

There was a stillness in the air that told Saitou just how frightened the local populace of Edo were, even though most of them were safely behind the city walls. The sheep were easily frightened, and the feral wolf inside of him couldn't help but sniff and smile to himself at just how saturated the fear was. Only those who did not fear or know death had the courage to defend the city. It was, however, not yet time for him to be out defending the city walls against the rebels who tried to attack the gates, but there was someone he wanted to try to find before he left for the defense, having only met during the subsequent frenzied battle after the initial shinobi ambush, when they, the Shinsengumi, had finally made it to Edo...

 

_His sword that was almost hilt deep into the man he had stabbed between the pieces of chained armor that covered his shoulder and torso, was stuck. Try as he might, the force of his_ Gatotsu _had just been a little too strong, and the sword, having been sliced and stabbed through so many bodies, was caked in blood and small flecks of bone and cloth. That was why it was stuck, most likely lodged between bone and dense muscle. With a great heave, he yanked, pulling the full weight of the dead rebel forward as he stepped back, and finally, after a slight hitch, his sword slid out..._

_Just in time for him to turn around, his instincts screaming, to see a big, burly warrior swinging a rather large cleaver-like sword down at him..._

_A gush of hot, sticky blood suddenly soaked him, as he saw the arms holding the sword fly up and away and the flash of a naginata blade appeared before his eyes, swinging upwards. The rebel screamed, and that was when Saitou pounced, taking the reprieve from death given to him to unleash another_ Gatotsu _and viciously stab the rebel in the heart._

_As soon as the warrior fell, he turned slightly to see who exactly had saved him, and to his surprise, he saw a short-statured woman dressed in yellow-black armor, holding the naginata at a guard position. Blood covered her armor, as well has her weapon, and there were a few splatters of it on her face. Her long, black hair was pulled back, though strands that had gotten loose were flying wildly about, giving her a slightly untamed look that was only tempered by the headband she wore that looked slightly too large. It was not the overall looks that had stunned Saitou into silence and stillness, but the fact that her eyes were blazing with a seriousness about them that belayed her true intentions. Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown than he expected, and to him, in the light, they looked amber – almost as if she were a she-wolf in disguise._

_To Saitou, she was stunningly beautiful._

_To her enemies, she was a vicious force to be reckon with, and that was where his glimpse of the woman ended as rebels closed the distance once again, and plunged both of them back into the fray..._

 

“Who is she?” he muttered to himself as he walked along the dusty roads towards the barracks, hoping to find someone who knew the woman's name. He knew that she had survived the battle at the Edo walls, since in the aftermath, he had seen her walk away with some of her other naginata-wielding _onna-bugeisha_ , back into the city.

“Hijikata-san has not yet planned out the defensive positions that we are to take today, Saitou-san,” the quiet, yet definitely hoarse voice of Okita said from in front of him as he snapped out of his thoughts and saw the First Unit Captain standing in front of him in the middle of the road.

“I'm not looking for him,” he said, stopping. “I'm looking for one of those _onna-bugeisha_ that aided the defense two days ago.”

“Oh,” Okita said, nodding, “then they will not be at the barracks. I do not know most of them, but I do happen to know the commander of their unit. If you are looking for a specific person, perhaps she will know who it is and will be able to tell you.”

“Who is this woman?” he asked as he turned and kept pace with Okita as they walked down the dusty road and headed towards where the high-ranking lords and vassal households lived in Edo.

“She is Lady Takagi Tokio,” Okita answered. “Her father, though quite old now, was a friend of my parents, but she has taken over most of the negotiations and general leading of the household. The Takagi household serve the Okita household via trade alliance.”

“Trade alliances are rare,” he murmured more to himself than to his comrade. Marriage alliances were the norm of the samurai, and he was extremely surprised that this alliance was based on what it simply was, trade. It also told him that the circumstances were unusual enough to have an unmarried woman leading the household.

“Indeed they are,” Okita said, nodding. “If you would like, I may be able to arrange a more proper introduction of you to her after this.”

“Perhaps,” he said, understanding exactly what Okita was implying. He was not interested in most of the proper niceties of a samurai and alliances that were made amongst lords and ladies, but at least he respected and somewhat adhered to the way it had been for generations. His honor and sense of justice were what drove him, not these other social things that most samurai engaged in.

“Saitou-san,” Okita said, his voice taking on a slightly hardened tone, “Lady Takagi has been a friend of my family for a long time. Though my brother-in-law and sister are in charge of the Okita family and all of their alliances, I personally would like to see Lady Takagi's future secured before I die. You are the only person that I feel may be good enough for her.”

Saitou managed to cover up his surprise at the admission by continuing to keep his stride constant and as he thought about it, he couldn't help but give a slightly wolfish grin. “Your woman wouldn't have stood for it if you had been betrothed to Lady Takagi,” he stated.

As he predicted, his statement had the effect he was looking for on Okita as the younger man stopped and glanced over and up at Saitou, asking, “What?”

“Your woman,” he stated again. “That kunoichi who has been working with us for the past four years.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Saitou-san,” Okita dismissively said as he continued walking. “I also do not appreciate the implications and aspersions you have cast upon both her and I.”

Saitou nearly rolled his eyes at Okita's denial, but he managed to hold himself back as he said in a half-sarcastic tone, “I apologize then.”

If Okita heard any trace of his sarcasm, he didn't acknowledge it and that did not bother Saitou at all. He was, however, still mentally shaking his head over the fact that no one else, save for perhaps Hijikata, had figured out that despite Okita being friendly with all the shinobi who had served the Shinsengumi, there was a certain closeness between Okita and the kunoichi, Matsumoto, that was more than just being friends. If Okita was to be dispensing advice to ensure that the future was just a little more bearable, then he felt that the young man, despite his clearly dying from tuberculosis, should take some of his own advice in hand.

The remaining walk to where the Takagi household lived was short and after introducing themselves to the guards at the entrance way, they were shown into the modestly-sized courtyard. Moments later, a woman emerged, and Saitou could not help but gape slightly. The woman, despite being dressed in a sedate-colored springtime kimono and beautifully cleaned up, was the same woman who had aided him and saved his life two days ago.

“Ah, Okita-dono,” Takagi Tokio said, breaking out into a smile as she saw the two of them. “I am honored that you should grace my family with your presence.”

As Okita did the necessary and proper introductions, Saitou could not help but notice that a young-looking woman followed Lady Takagi in her wake, as if shadowing her. He quickly realized that it was a bodyguard, though not in the sense of the usual guards that he sometimes saw around various high-ranking officials that had lumbered around Kyoto. This bodyguard was a kunoichi. He knew that shinobi bodyguards were extremely rare, due to the implied unpleasant connotations that one had when associating with shinobi, and only under extreme circumstances did one request such a placement. He wondered what had happened to Lady Takagi to warrant such a request.

“This is Saitou Hajime, Tokio-dono,” Okita said, as Saitou returned his attention to the introductions being made. “He is the Shinsengumi's Third Unit Captain and had some questions with regards to the talented _onna-bugeisha_ under your command.”

“Actually,” Saitou smoothly interrupted, “I would like to talk to you about what happened two days ago.”

Instead of demurring like so many other high-born women did when faced with such a direct request, he was glad to see Lady Takagi smile in a genuine fashion before saying, “I too would also like to discuss what had happened at Edo's walls.”

He could feel the delighted yet strangely mischievous grin that Okita had, directed towards him, but before he or anyone else could say something, one of the guardsmen that had been at the entrance to the household hurried past them and whispered something to Lady Takagi. He saw Lady Takagi nod to the guards words, and he glanced at Okita who had taken a quick look back to see who was standing at the entrance. He could feel the presence of two people at the entrance, but like Okita, he could see no one at the gate.

“Show them in,” Lady Takagi said in an authoritative voice. To Okita and him, she said, “Please stay. This should not take long.”

The guardsman hurried back and both he and Okita stepped to the side to allow the two guests in who clearly had a higher priority in meeting with Lady Takagi than he did. To Saitou's surprise (and all of the others in the courtyard), a rather enormously muscled and tall man covered in scars entered first – Saitou remembered seeing the scarred man at the gates to Edo – and was followed by another familiar face. The two black-clad shinobi who entered would have made an extremely comical sight in terms of clear height differences, had it not been for the fact that both of them had grim expressions on their faces.

“Takagi-dono,” Matsumoto said, in her usual clipped tone, “Shikijou and I apologize for intruding upon you and your guests, but we have both news for you and a request to make of you.”

“Speak of your request first,” Lady Takagi answered.

“Takahashi Reika,” Matsumoto said, directing her attention to the shadow that lingered behind Lady Takagi, “your skills are requested by our _Okashira_. If it is permitted by your employer, you will no longer be in service to the Takagi household and will be sent to scout out routes.”

“Routes to what?” Lady Takagi asked, taking a few steps forward.

“That is the news I bring, Takagi-dono,” Matsumoto stated, pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it over to Lady Takagi.

Saitou carefully watched as the woman unfolded the paper and read through the scrawl, an ungainly frown marring her otherwise beautiful face. A moment later, she folded the paper back up in a neat fashion and said, “How many months?”

“That I cannot say,” Matsumoto answered, shaking her head slightly. “Our estimates say maybe until late spring or early summer, but we would like to evacuate everyone out before then. I would advise you to start making preparations for we have not scouted out secured routes yet and once we do, we will let you know.”

Despite not knowing the contents of the letter, Saitou narrowed his eyes as he listened to the conversation, especially what was implied. Two days in Edo and already the others commanding various forces had already decided that they could not hold the city. That meant that the skirmishes that he and the others defending the city would not be to defend the city but the evacuees – lords, ladies, and the commoners. None of them had a choice but to go north and there was no guarantee that even those routes were safe.

“I am sure that you have other households to inform, do you not?”

“Yes, milady.”

“Then I will release Reika-dono back to her duties,” Lady Takagi said, stepping back slightly as the young woman who was standing near her mistress stepped forward and gave a curt nod towards the two other shinobi.

“ _Fukuchou_ ,” the diminutive, but surprisingly pretty woman said, “where does our _Okashira_ need me?”

_Fukuchou_? Saitou was quite surprised at the rank to which Matsumoto had been addressed as, but kept it from appearing on his face. The fact that the kunoichi was now second-in-command of the Oniwabanshuu group meant that the gravely injured shinobi that Shinomori had briefly introduced to Hijikata and him after they had arrived at Edo and had beaten back the rebels, had not survived. He thought Matsumoto was a level-headed shinobi who clearly knew the limits of her abilities, but this – being out in the spotlight as the second-in-command, was a poor choice that he assumed Shinomori had made. He felt that her skills would've been better used in the shadows, not among the ranks of command.

“Shikijou will accompany and show you,” he heard Matsumoto state as the woman approached the two, stopped and turned towards her former mistress. The three shinobi then sketched bows of respect towards Lady Takagi and left without another word.

As soon as the doors to the entrance closed, it was Okita who spoke first, saying, “We will take our leave, Takagi-dono, as no doubt, both you and us have many things to take care of for the rest of the day.”

“Then farewell,” Lady Takagi said, gracing them with a sad smile before continuing on, saying, “I also apologize, Saitou-dono, that we could not discuss the events of two days prior. Perhaps in the future, our paths may cross again and we may begin that discussion.”

Saitou merely gave her a nod, though it was not one of the usual ones he gave to those in the Shinsengumi, and instead, it was one that showed that he intended to keep that promise of a possible future meeting with the lovely Takagi Tokio.

* * *

Susumu silently pressed the small, hook-like needle into the flesh of the patient he was currently stitching up, noting that the small shinobi held himself still, despite the pain he knew that Beshimi was in. The rather large gash that Beshimi had sustained across his back in this morning's skirmish with a few rebel scouts was almost stitched up and despite Susumu's efforts, blood had been sewn up into the stitching, which would make it painful to pull the stitching out after the wound naturally closed. It was something that they all had to live with and he was sure that Beshimi would understand.

Dried blood and thread were a common occurrence, but most of the time, the patients that he tended to managed to stop bleeding profusely for a few moments – enough for him to hurriedly stitch them up. He was also extremely grateful that Dr. Matsumoto was still in Edo, and had opened up his hospital to admit anyone who had injuries that were too great to tend to on the battlefield. There had been more than a few shinobi, Shinchougumi, and Shinsengumi members since their arrival who had wound up in the hospital. One of them had been the vice-commander of the Oniwabanshuu, a grizzled, old veteran who had been only a few years younger than their former _Okashira_ , but he had died on the operating table yesterday.

This was their second day in Edo, but since arriving, Susumu found that his skills as a shinobi had been put to the side in favor of him running around the battlefields, tending to the wounded as a field medic. Aoshi had not said anything except to give him a nod of acknowledgment to what he was doing, and he found it oddly puzzling. He did, however, also strangely felt quite relieved that he was not slaying anyone or throwing knives as hard as he could into vital points.

The initial smoke grenades that their _Okashira_ had planted in the field between the outer walls of Edo and the forest, worked to the Oniwabanshuu's advantage as all of them had surged into obscuring blanket of smoke. With their abilities, the smoke had proved to be no hindrance, and they had slaughtered the initial group of rebels that had pursued the Shinsengumi. Having fought near Aoshi, he had seen their young leader rip apart small groups of Choshuu swordsmen with ease, especially when he was able to unleash Kaiten Kenbu upon them.

It had been almost like a quick dance of death whenever someone hapless enemy decided to challenge Aoshi, especially at the speed he moved. However, combat required the person to pay attention to what was in front of him, and therefore, despite just wanting to sit back and watch with impressed feelings at their _Okashira_ dealing death with ease like a merchant doling out his popular wares, Susumu had returned his attention to his own battle.

Once the smoke had cleared, the Oniwabanshuu had pulled back, allowing the Shinsengumi and Shinchougumi to take the front and defend it with the next wave. By the third wave of rebels who had tried to crash upon Edo's walls, other units, including several _onna-bugeisha_ had joined in the fray. The battle had been a welcomed victory for Edo, especially for those who had been running from the enemy for a while.

“Try not to roll on your back for the next few days, Beshimi,” he advised, bringing himself back to the present, where his thoughts should have been, especially with a wounded patient.

“Much appreciated, Yamazaki-sensei,” Beshimi replied, his voice a bit timid as the short shinobi got up, slipped his arms back into his clothes and gave him a grateful bow.

“I'm not a doctor,” he muttered, as he returned his attention to cleaning his various tools and putting them away in the small satchel. “I'm just a field medic.”

“You should think about becoming one, Yamazaki,” a big, booming voice said from the doorway to the small room that he had set up as a temporary place for the injured to be quickly attended to – either by a wrapping or stitching or for him to diagnose that the wounded needed to be sent to the hospital.

He looked up to see the tall, well-muscled man with many scars on his arms and most likely body, giving him a nod in greeting as Beshimi quickly slipped out, duties carrying the wiry, tiny, dart-loving shinobi elsewhere. “Shikijou, correct?” he asked, tentatively saying the shinobi's name, hoping that he got the name correct. He recognized the faces of all the other shinobi in the Oniwabanshuu, since he grew up in the midst of them, but this extremely tall and beefy-looking man was a complete stranger.

“Yep,” the shinobi casually said. “I don't know if you got the word yet, but our _Okashira_ says that we're not going to be able to hold and defend the city. They're giving the notices out to everyone right now to start preparing for evacuations. Reika and I are going to scout for routes. Do you want to come with us?”

“I would like to,” he said, looking around and found that he did miss running outdoors with no one trying to kill him. “But I'm needed here, just in case any of our people, the Shinsengumi, or Shinchougumi are wounded and need my help.” He sighed before asking, “Before you go, Shikijou, I was curious as to when and how you joined us. We usually recruit children, not adults unless they've already had the training. You don't fight like a shinobi, yet you're wearing our uniform.”

The easy-going grin on the scarred man's face faltered for a second before it was back up and he said, “I mainly fight hand-to-hand, Yamazaki. Once the visiting Shinsengumi entourage left Edo last year, my former employers, the Satsuma, upon hearing of the failure of the remaining Fuuma clansmen, sent me to assassinate Aoshi-sama. He ended up defeating me, hence the scars you see. I never got to lay a hand on him and he showed me the error of my ways. He was also generous enough to allow me to increase my strength through various herbs and also allowed me to repent and follow him.”

Susumu kept the frown from his face, not only for the fact that this person had actually tried to assassinate their _Okashira_ , but also the fact that Aoshi had allowed his shinobi to utilize certain herbs that would allow an increase in strength. Most shinobi naturally had the speed, but very few had the strength, hence why they were not front-line fighters. It was dangerous for anyone to consume the strength-building herbs without proper supervision, and he was sure that Shikijou had not been properly supervised. Still, it was not his place to discourage the burly-looking man from consuming whatever he wanted to – he was sure that Shikijou would not listen to his advice, considering the devoted adoration the big man had for their _Okashira_. It was still good for him to know, so that if Shikijou ever got injured, he would be able to account for the herbs in his system.

“Thank you, Shijikou,” he said, “for the information. I do know that Kai would most likely be grateful to accompany you and Reika on the scouting mission. You can probably find him outside, near the sentry tower to the left.”

With a nod, the scarred man left, and Susumu caught a glimpse of Reika, who gave him a soft nod of her head before following the other shinobi out. As soon as they were gone, he glanced out of the window and mentally sighed to himself. There was little he could do to help Kai, for his friend wanted desperately to return to Kyoto, and despite Kai's pleading with their _Okashira_ , they could spare no one to attempt to break through the lines to get to Kyoto. Everyone was needed here, to protect the Shogun and his people against the blood-thirsty rebels.

With their impending evacuation of the great city and their northward push, he knew that soon, those loyal to the Shogun would have no where else to run. It was not a matter of _if_ , but a matter of _when_ all of them would make their last stand.

 

~*~*~*~


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 12.2**

 

_Three weeks later..._

 

“Thank you, young man, for helping me with this wagon,” the old man gratefully said, as Tetsu pushed with all of his strength and a moment later, the cart that had stuck in the muddy pothole was freed and back on the road.

“Yeah, no problem,” he said, dusting his hands, even though the light rain made that gesture all but futile. As he helped the old man get a firm grip on the cart's handles and pull away to join the others who were slowly making their way to the north side of the city, he heard a sniffle behind him.

Turning around, he looked down to see a young child, a girl, looking up at him, sniffling and teary-eyed. Glancing from side to side, there was no one rushing up to him to claim this girl and so he crouched down in front of the girl. Now that he was face-to-face with the girl, he was suddenly reminded of a younger-looking Saya, whom this girl somewhat resembled. His heart ached as the reminder that the woman he loved was still stuck in Kyoto, and he didn't even know if she was still alive or unhurt.

“Hey,” he said in his kindest, gentlest voice he could muster, wishing that he had an umbrella of sorts to place over the girl so that she wouldn't get more wet than she already was. “Where are your parents?”

“I-I don't know,” the girl hiccuped, sniffling some more as tears mingled in with the light raindrops that dripped from the bangs of her hair.

“What's your name?” he asked.

“Kaoru,” the girl said. “Kamiya Kaoru.”

“Okay Kaoru-chan,” he said, giving her a smile to hopefully show her that there was nothing to be afraid of or sad about. “I'm Ichimura Tetsunosuke. Let's go see if we can find your parents.” He took the girl by the hand and stood up. “Do you remember where you live?”

He looked down again to see the girl nodding before she said, “We live next to the main shipping channel for the east side. I got lost and I can't find my way there.”

Though Tetsu didn't let it show on his face, he mentally frowned; the main shipping channel for the east side was a long irrigation channel – it would be almost impossible to walk the entire length of the place, especially not when he had been tasked by Hijikata to make sure that the civilians in this area were well on their way out of the city before the rebels broke through. However, looking at the little girl, he knew that he couldn't just abandon her there or send her away with another family. He didn't have the heart to.

“Okay,” he said, making up his mind, “follow me and let's go and see if there still at home.”

With the little girl a bit happier-looking, but still occasionally sniffling, the two of them passed by many families bearing carts full of their possessions and whatever they could carry. Tetsu stopped a few times to help some of the families, especially those who had carts and were getting them stuck in the muddy road, but they did not linger long.

It was down one of the many streets that would lead to the main east-side irrigation channel that Kaoru pipped up again, asking, “Are you a samurai, Ichimura-san?”

“Uh...” he started, but faltered, unsure as to how to answer the girl. He knew of the fearsome reputation that the Shinsengumi had, and that was the reason why he had not worn his blue overcoat today – he did not want to scare the civilians when he was trying to help them. “You could say that I'm one of some sorts,” he finally answered.

“What style do you practice?” the girl inquired. “Otousan teaches the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu. Otousan is training me in it because he believes in _katsujin-ken_ and thinks I can learn it well.”

_The sword that gives life_ , Tetsu thought, his steps slowly slightly. _The sword that protects people_... He had promised Saya long ago that he would never use his swords to kill, only to protect, but since Toba-Fushimi it was getting harder and harder for him to keep that promise. He had only managed to avoid killing people with his swords – by injuring them, by knocking them out with a rifle or anything that he could find, or by the sheer chance that one of the other Shinsengumi members had been present to deal the killing blow.

He was saved from answering the young girl's inquiry as he heard a joyful shout of “Kaoru-chan!” and looked up to see a man and woman running towards them.

“Otousan! Okaasan!” the little girl squealed as she let go of Tetsu's hand and ran towards her parents. He followed her at a more sedate pace, watching as the young girl's parents embraced her fiercely before the father let go and closed the distance between him and the small family.

The girl's father bowed quite deeply and Tetsu blushed slightly, unused to the amount of respect that was being given to him. “Thank you, sir,” the father said. “For helping return our daughter to us.”

“Please, Kamiya-sensei,” he said, “it was no trouble. I'm here to make sure that everyone, including you and your family are having no trouble getting out of the city.”

“Yes, of course,” the elder Kamiya said, nodding quite gravely while putting a protective arm around his wife. “We are on our way out. Good luck to you and the others.”

“Farewell,” he replied as the small family left, carrying a meagre amount of possessions with them. He turned to watch them go and when they were a little further up the road, he saw Kaoru turn slightly back to look at him. He raised a hand in farewell, hoping that it would comfort the girl. As soon as the family turned the bend, he turned back and continued down the road.

A few minutes later, with the rain now steadily pouring down the grey skies, he heard the rapid movement of footsteps behind him and turned to see a unit decorated in various colors – blue, yellow, red – running down the street. Leading the way was Okita and he called out, “Okita-san!”

“Tetsu-kun,” Okita acknowledged as he, Tetsu, ran to join them. “There are reports from the Oniwabanshuu that a group of rebels managed to break through the line and enter the city near this section's walls. As soon as we engage the enemy, I need you to go around the area and make sure that everyone around there are safely gone.”

“Will do, Okita-san,” he said, nodding.

The unit and Tetsu continued down towards the east wall, onto the bridge and past the large irrigation channel, all the while with the roads getting muddier and more slippery. With only quick glimpses around, Tetsu could not see any sign of anyone who had been left behind, but that did not mean that some were cowering in their homes. Around the final bend in the rows of houses that were near the wall, the defensive unit finally encountered the first of the rebels who had managed to scale the wall and into the city.

“Tetsu-kun, go!” he heard Okita shout before _ki-ai_ from both sides filled the air. He didn't need to be told twice as he ducked and dodged rifle fire from a few of the rebels, running towards an empty street that was not filled with fighting loyalists and rebels. There was no polite way around it, so he started to yank open windows and doors, poking his head inside to see if there were anyone still left in the houses.

House by house, he cleared them, finding no one, and with the sounds of fighting still continuing on after he had cleared at least two blocks, he hurried back to rejoin the fighting. Just as he skidded along the mud past the corner towards the small open area between the wall and the first of the houses, a small volley of rifle fire headed straight towards him, causing him to duck and crash into the mud. Thankfully, he slid straight into a cart that had been knocked to its side, spilling whatever was it its crates out.

The bullets flew into the wood, but didn't hit him, though he felt the splinters of wood fly through the air. Peering out from his relatively safe cover, he saw that a few loyalists had engaged the riflemen and scrambled up. Running towards the fray, he pulled out his swords and with an inarticulate scream, he charged in.

He was not as short as he was a few years ago, and therefore, he could not perform the same moves that he had done long ago, but his training with Okita throughout the years had led him to develop some new techniques to compensate for his change in height. He kicked the first rebel, lashing out and hooking his leg around the rebel's leg while his swords crashed into the rebel's own. The rebel crashed into the ground and Tetsu lanced both of his swords through each leg, severing muscle and tendon, rendering the rebel unable to stay steady on his feet should he attempt to get up.

Turning away, he brought his swords to bear against another rebel, but before he could do any sort of damage, his instincts screamed at him to move...just as a rifle bullet pelted the side of the rebel. Using the momentum of his spin, he rolled to the ground and behind the nearest barricade he could find that housed at least two other men, the telltale _thump_ of many balls hitting and splitting wood, tearing through the area.

Those with rifles answered the volley, sending one of their own, and moments later, there was a great cheer that rose among those who had defended the place. He peeked out to see that despite their last stand with rifles, the rebels were retreating, trying to scramble across the wall they had scaled. He breathed a sigh of relief, but knew that even though the rebels were retreating, things were not entirely safe yet.

“Hold your places, men!” Tetsu heard Okita shout as a few of the defenders cheered and started to pursue the fleeing soldiers, while more than a few armed with rifles fired at those running away. He ran out from behind the barricade, sheathing his swords, and immediately began to turn back over a cart with a few other men. “Their reinforcements will be coming. I need you three to drag those carts here--”

Tetsu never heard his friend finish his orders as he heard a faint gurgle that was swiftly followed by a violently wet cough. He turned and in the distance, saw Okita collapsing to the ground, coughing out a lot of _blood_.

“Okita-san!” he screamed.

* * *

“I refuse.”

Instead of a surprised look, there was a mild one that graced the face of their _Okashira_ as he looked up from the map and pinned his eyes on Kai. Across from where he was standing, he saw a slight movement of Aya’s hand reach up and rest on the hilt of her short blade. Susumu felt his own guard go up, but did not reach for his own weapon, for their _Okashira_ had not reached for his own weapon and it was possible that their _Okashira_ wanted this to be played out as bloodless as possible.

“Explain yourself,” Aoshi demanded.

“I refuse to serve a coward of a Shogun who has run away from the battlefield. I refuse to defy our Emperor who had clearly sided with the rebels. I refuse to leave my wife in Kyoto while the damn rebels claw their way up our country.”

“Then I only have one final mission for you, before you are dismissed forever from serving the Oniwabanshuu, coward,” Aoshi stated, nearly hissing his words. “The least you can do for your soon-to-be former brothers and sisters are to secure a safe route to Kyoto. We will hold position at Edo for as long as it takes to evacuate all residents of the city and when that is done, we will join our brothers and sisters in Kyoto. If you are still there when we arrive, your life is forfeit, Shimada Kai.”

Susumu saw Kai clench his jaw for a second before turning and left the room without another word or bow of respect towards their _Okashira_. A part of him was torn at the fact that his friend was gone, but another part was relieved that there had been no blood shed and that at least the _Okashira_ had enough mercy left in him to let Kai go without protest. The atmosphere surrounding the Shinsengumi was already toxic, and clearly the past few months had taken a toll on not just Kai, but also Aya and him. He saw Aya remove her hand from the hilt of her short blade and returned his gaze to the map.

“If there are any others who wish to join Shimada, leave now, but should any who remain and see you in Kyoto, your lives will also be forfeit,” Aoshi said.

Out of all those assembled, only three others left in the wake of Kai leaving, though the silence that had engulfed the room was quite palpable. “Now, these routes are currently the best ways to get everyone out of the city without being exposed to the front lines,” Aoshi continued, drawing everyone's attention back to the map and pointed to a few heavily wooded areas. “If the garrison continues to hold the rebels' attention, the estimated time for full evacuation is a few weeks at the most. Our job is not to protect anyone leaving, but to secure the routes and make sure that the rebels do not try to route the civilians.”

“ _Okashira_ \--” one of the shinobi gathered started to ask a question, but was interrupted by a pounding at the door.

“Enter!”

An unfamiliar-looking aide, dressed in bloodied scrubs of someone who worked at Dr. Matsumoto's hospital hurried in before stopping and stared a bit dumbly at the gathered shinobi. Fortunately, the awestruck look on the medical aide was short-lived as the aide said, “Pardon my interruption, but Matsumoto-sensei requests Yamazaki-san to help him at the hospital.”

With a nod from Aoshi, Susumu left without another word, and hurried after the aide. Passing by many wounded people, along with civilians trying to evacuate in the chaos, Susumu and the mousy-looking aide finally arrived at the hospital, which was surprisingly calmer than the outside noise.

There was a heavy smell of herbs and of blood mixed in the air, along with the moans and cries of both samurai and civilians, some thrashing about in their beds, while others were just lying quietly, staring up at nothing. Susumu would have thought those dead, except for the fact that their chests moved up and down. There were a few other medical personnel around, but most of the nurses that he had initially seen upon his first viewing of the hospital a few weeks before were not present.

“Where's everyone?” he asked, looking around.

“Most of them already evacuated with their families,” the aide said. “Only those brave enough to stand against the Choshuu forces have stayed.”

“Susumu!” he heard Tetsu's voice call out to him and looked up to see his friend, covered in dirt, flecks and splatters of blood, and gunpowder, standing before a curtained off area.

“What are you doing here, kid?” he asked, incredulous.

“Here, Yamazaki-san,” the aide interrupted, handing him a clean apron along with a head covering and handkerchief. Susumu quickly went over to the bowl of water to the side and rinsed his hands quickly in the water before taking the items and got dressed. “Matsumoto-sensei needs your help with a patient with tuberculosis.”

It took him a moment to digest it, but then he made the connection as to why Tetsu was here and who exactly was the patient with tuberculosis. “Go, Ichimura,” he tersely said before wrapping the handkerchief tightly around his face and placed the full head covering over his head. “The _fukuchou_ probably hasn't head the news yet. You need to tell him.”

“But--” Tetsu began, hesitating when Susumu glared at him. Did the kid not understand that at any minute, even second, Okita could die? Susumu knew that Tetsu knew that Hijikata and Okita were close friends – did the kid not understand that by standing here doing nothing, Tetsu was only going to aggravate everyone? It was better to send the kid away with the news to tell Hijikata than to have him stay and see another friend die.

“Go Tetsu,” he said, softening his tone. “You don't want to see or hear this.”

He turned his back to his friend and the aide lifted the curtain slightly, allowing him in. As soon as he stepped through the threshold, he was taken slightly aback at the sight – there were more than a few beds occupied by those with tuberculosis. Dr. Matsumoto was standing next to one and he approached and glanced beyond the doctor to see the too-pale looking form of the Shinsengumi First Unit Captain lying on too-white sheets.

There was a small stain of fresh blood on Okita's pillow, but the man currently had his eyes closed, but was not breathing evenly. He could hear the wheezing and the occasional hitch of Okita's breath, along with the clear noise of fluid rattling through each breath out. The man sounded like he was at death's door.

“Ah, Yamazaki,” Dr. Matsumoto said, glancing up at him before returning his gaze to his patient. “I need you to bring me a mixture of these herbs.”

Susumu took the small piece of paper from the doctor and glanced at it. None of the herbs would kill, and it looked more like a cough suppression medication than what he had expected. “We may yet give him a few more weeks to live, Yamazaki,” the doctor quietly said and Susumu nodded at his words. Death had not come for Okita just yet, but when death did come, at least Okita's friends would have been allowed a final farewell.

 

~*~*~*~

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 12.3**

 

_A few weeks later..._

 

Despite the warm breeze of what was soon-to-be a scorching summer in Edo, Tetsu shivered as he quietly stepped through the threshold of the silent guest house. It felt cold in here, and the withdrawn and solemn face of Okita's elder sister, Mitsu, who had greeted both him and Hijikata at the door to the guest house served to further that chilly feeling.

“My brother is conscious, but I ask that you please not talk to him long. He needs his rest,” Tetsu heard the woman politely say.

“Thank you, Okita-dono, for allowing I and my page to see your brother,” Hijikata said as the three of them made their way to the room where on several layers of futon that raised him off the floor, laid the eerily pale body of Okita.

Tetsu tried his hardest to blink back the tears as he saw that Okita's skin was nearly the same color as the sheets and there was a most definite audible rattling sound that came from Okita whenever he took a breath. He stood by the entrance with Mitsu as Hijikata approached and took a seat on the short stool that was beside the bed. He could see Hijikata's lips move and could see Okita reply with short answers, but he could not hear them.

“Is he strong enough to evacuate with you and your husband?” he quietly asked Mitsu.

“I don't know,” she admitted after a moment of silence. “I don't want to leave him behind...”

In the weeks following Okita's collapse on the battlefield, Tetsu had not seen his friend since, having been tasked with many things to do that eventually culminated in today's visit, which would be his first and only one. He had heard that Okita had recovered enough from his collapse to transfer to a guest house owned by his sister and brother-in-law, but even that short journey had taken most of the strength out of Okita. He knew his friend was dying, but despite even knowing that, he held on to some irrational hope that perhaps his friend would be able to evacuate before Choshuu forces would take over the city. He was not naive enough to know that if the rebel forces discovered Okita within the city, they would not hesitate to give him a painful death.

“Ichimura,” Hijikata said, startling him out of his thoughts as he saw the vice-commander wave him over.

He slowly approached and saw Hijikata get up from the stool and stand back a bit. He sat and heard the vice-commander walk away, giving him a bit of privacy as he focused his gaze on Okita's face, trying to avert his eyes on just how rail-thin his friend looked under the sheets and the yukata he was wearing. Okita was just skin and bones, and it showed, even in his face, with his eyes sunken in more than usual, and cheekbones not normally seen showing. Even the small smile that Okita wore on his face seemed eerie to Tetsu.

“Do not look so sad, Tetsu-kun,” he heard Okita whisper, sounding quite ragged.

The tears that he tried valiantly to hold back could no longer be contained as he felt them stream down his face. “Okita-san...”

As soon as he controlled himself and wiped away the tears with the sleeves of his gi, he found that the smile on Okita's face had disappeared as the captain continued to say in a patient tone, “I lived a good life, Tetsu-kun. I am happy. Please do not cry anymore. Promise me that you will only use those swords of yours to continue to protect those you care about, never to kill in revenge.”

He mutely nodded before taking a deep breath and said, “I promise, Okita-san.” He saw his friend and mentor sigh and lie back deeper against the pillow that had propped his head up a bit, and sensed that the conversation was over. “Farewell, my friend,” he quietly said. “It was an honor meeting and knowing you.”

“And I, you, Ichimura Tetsunosuke-san.”

Tetsu numbly got up from the stool as Okita closed his eyes again, falling back asleep. He walked as silently as he could back to the entrance and wordlessly, Mitsu escorted both of them back out. Both of them said their farewells to the woman before leaving the premise, headed back towards where the remainder of the Shinsengumi were currently preparing to leave.

Halfway between their path from the guest house to where the rest of the Shinsengumi forces were, an unexpected person showed up. “Aya-nee!” he called out in greeting, seeing the shinobi approach, dressed all in the usual black of her trade and armed to the teeth.

“ _Fukuchou_ ,” the shinobi curtly greeted Hijikata and gave a small nod of acknowledgment to Tetsu. She promptly then handed over a folded letter, to which the vice-commander took it and opened it.

“I see,” Hijikata merely said after reading the letter and folded it back up.

“Our _Okashira_ has decided that the best course of action for us after we get to Kyoto is to try to subvert them from behind. It may buy you and your forces some time to regroup, but we do not know if even our ploy will work. We wish you the best of luck.”

“Then on behalf of the entire Shinsengumi, I thank you and your comrades for their service to us and to the Shogun. Please give my regards to your _Okashira_ for I am unable to, due to other matters that I must attend to before the Shinsengumi leave.”

“Wait, you're not coming with us, Aya-nee?” he asked, confused.

“We're not,” Aya answered. “We're evacuating to Kyoto. _Fukuchou_ , I will also pass on the regards to our _Okashira_.”

“When do you leave?” Hijikata asked.

“Tonight,” she answered. “Most of the civilians have already been evacuated and our options for secured routes going to Kyoto are starting to close.”

The vice-commander was silent for a long moment before suddenly saying, “Matsumoto, have you said your farewell?”

Tetsu was confused, wondering who exactly the vice-commander was referring to, but he never got his answer as Aya answered in an unusually sad yet quiet tone, “I said my farewell before Toba-Fushimi, sir.”

Tetsu saw Hijikata nod only once, accepting the answer before saying, “May fortune favor your blade.”

“May they favor us all, sir.”

* * *

_May 1868, western-reckoning..._

 

A heightened sense of frenzy seemed to have saturated the air as horses, men, and arms of both western and Japanese make were passed everywhere as the remaining Shogunate forces that had not yet evacuated from Edo entered final preparations to leave. The city had surrendered only days ago, and most, if not all the civilians had left. It was in one of the many courtyards that dotted the great Edo castle that Susumu found his friend, adjusting packs to his horse and strapping a rifle to the saddle.

“Hey Tetsu,” Susumu said, causing the young man to turn from his work, startled and surprised.

“Susumu!” Tetsu answered, reaching out and grabbing him into a fierce hug before letting him go and stepped slightly back. “I thought you'd left with all the others.”

Susumu shook his head negative and said, “I decided to retire. Matsumoto-sensei needs help and I'm going to stay and help him with the patients that can't evacuate.”

“Oh,” the young man said, sadness flashing across his face before returning to his normal, neutral look. Susumu knew what had caused that look, and it was not the fact that he, Susumu, was staying in Edo while the rebels would push through the city, leaving it untouched. It was the fact that Tetsu was reminded of the hopelessly dying condition that Okita was in. Psychologically, Susumu could see the toll of the past months on Tetsu as the young man had become more reticent in recent weeks, with the final straw of his once youthful and exuberant outlook completely shattering at being witness to Okita's collapse on the battlefield. “Well, be careful then,” Tetsu quietly said.

“You too,” he said, reaching out and clasping the forearm of his friend. After a moment, he let go and stepped back, just as a piercing whistle from Hijikata sounded across the courtyard, signaling that the remaining members of the Shinsengumi were to ride out.

Susumu watched as Tetsu swung himself onto his horse and without another word or glance at him, the young man kicked his horse off, setting it into a gallop to join the others as they thundered out of the courtyard. Only when the dust finally settled did Susumu finally turn back and make his way to Dr. Matsumoto's hospital. He hoped that perhaps, one day, when the war was over, that he would be able to see his friend again.

 

_The Boshin War was fought from early 1868 until mid-summer 1869 and ended with the surrender of Shogunate forces in northern Japan to the Meiji Emperor’s rule. During the war, many samurai, civilian, and foreign forces died on the battlefields that started with the conflicts at Toba-Fushimi and ended at Hakodate._

 

_Shinsengumi commander, Kondou Isami was captured at the battle of Koushuu-Katsuunuma (March 1868) and beheaded by Choshuu forces._

 

_Ichimura Tatsunosuke left the Shinsengumi forces after the battle of Koshuu-Katsuunuma. His brother, Tetsunosuke, remained and continued to fight numerous battles._

 

_Choshuu forces stormed Edo in the wake of the death of Kondou and the demoralization of the Shogunate forces. The city surrendered in May 1868, leading to the withdrawal of the Shogunate forces northwards towards the Aizu and Tohoku regions._

 

_Nagakura Shinpachi left the Shinsengumi during the evacuation of Edo. He survived to see the new era and assumed a different name._

 

_Okita Souji remained in Edo alone when the Shogunate forces retreated and died from tuberculosis on July 19, 1868._

 

_Harada Sanosuke joined remnants of the Shogunate forces who had stayed behind in Edo and participated in the Battle of Ueno. He was killed in the early days of July 1868 during that battle._

 

_Saitou Hajime led a separate force of Shinsengumi members to defend Aizu after the battle of Bonari Pass and was eventually captured and held as a prisoner of war under a false name. He survived to see the new era and served the Meiji government under the name of Fujita Gorou. He eventually reunited with Takagi Tokio and married her._

 

_Hijikata Toshizou led the remaining Shinsengumi on their final battles through Aizu and eventually into the Tohoku region, joining forces with Enomoto Takeaki’s fleet at Sendai. In the final conflict of the war in Hakodate, Hijikata sent Tetsunosuke to Hino with several personal items to be given to Hijikata’s brother-in-law. Tetsunosuke reluctantly carried out the orders, having truly wished to stay with his master and fight to the death. Hijikata was killed in action weeks after giving his final orders to Tetsunosuke._

 

~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historically, Ichimura Tetsunosuke's fate was quite ambiguous after the end of the Boshin War. Some sources said he died during the Satsuma Rebellion, others say that he lived... Anyhow, there will be an epilogue, which is the final story to this series...and we catch up with some of the survivors during the Summer of 1878, in Kyoto.


End file.
